Iran Appoints Mehrdad Akhlaghi as New Defence Minister

The Iranian parliament has approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the country's new defence minister, roughly eight months after the killing of former defence minister Aziz Nasirzadeh in US-Israeli strikes.

Lawmakers in the Iranian parliament voted to approve Mehrdad Akhlaghi as the nominee for the minister of defence and armed forces logistics. According to information on the government's website, Akhlaghi was elected to the post after receiving 237 votes in favour out of 277 cast.

The new defence minister, Akhlaghi, took over the role following the death of former minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, who was killed along with former leader Ayatollah Ali Hamaney and top military commanders in a US-Israeli strike targeting the leadership compound on February 28. Akhlaghi, who does not hold a military rank, served in the defence ministry for 42 years and has headed Iran's state-owned arms manufacturer, the Defence Industries Organisation, since 2013. Akhlaghi was also sanctioned by the United Nations in 2007 over his potential role in nuclear or ballistic missile activities.